USA Immigration and Green Card FAQ
We know you have questions about our agency. That’s why we’ve rounded up the most popular ones and answered them in detail.
Part #1: General Green Card Questions
What is the Green Card Lottery?
50,000 permanent resident cards are made available each year through the American Green Card Lottery (also known as the Diversity Visa or DV Lottery). It is an official U.S. government program that gives foreign nationals a shot at legally living and working in America.
When does one submit a Green Card Lottery entry?
Each year, the U.S. government announces the specific dates when qualified individuals can submit their Green Card Lottery application. It usually occurs at the end of the year for a 30 day period. The advantage of using an application service provider like USAFIS is that you can register at any time of the year and we will submit the entry when the date is announced.
How many people are selected in the Green Card Lottery?
100,000 entries are randomly selected from the pool of applications via a computer program. Each Green Card Lottery winner is given a reference number. Winners must complete specific Green Card applications, go through a security check, and receive a medical exam before being approved for a Green Card. The process can take up to a year, and out of the initial 100,000 selected entries, 50,000 will be granted the Green Card.
Part #2: Green Card Lottery Requirements
Who can participate in the Lottery?
Besides having a high school education or 2 years of work experience, a person must also be a native of a qualifying Green Card Lottery country to participate in the Diversity Visa program.
Check if you can participate in the Official U.S. Diversity Visa program HERE!
How do I know if I am a native of a Green Card Lottery eligible country?
USAFIS offers a free eligibility test to find out if you qualify for the DV Lottery. Usually, countries that send less than 50,000 immigrants to the US within a 5-year period are Green Card Lottery eligible countries.
Is there a way to participate in the Green Card Lottery if I am not a native of a qualifying country?
Yes. If your parents were born in eligible countries, but are not residents of your country of birth, then you can apply for the American Green Card Lottery if you also meet the educational or work experience requirement. For example, your parents, because of their jobs, may have temporarily lived in the ineligible country were you were born, so you can use their native country for the Green Card Lottery (known as “nativity”).
What are the Green Card Lottery educational requirements?
You must have a full high school education or have 2 years of work experience.
What are the work requirements for the Green Card Lottery?
If a person is qualifying with work experience for the Green Card Lottery, the occupation must be designated as Job Zone 4 or 5, classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of 7.0 or higher by U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor provides information on job duties, knowledge and skills, education and training, and other occupational characteristics at their website. The O*Net online database, groups work experience into five “job zones.”
What is the minimum age to participate in the Green Card Lottery?
The program is intended for people with at least a high school education or 2 years of work experience within a 5 year period. This usually refers to a person of 18 years of age or older.
Part #3: Trusting USAFIS with your Green Card application
What is USAFIS?
USAFIS was founded on the mission of helping foreign nationals to qualify for the Green Card Lottery. From promoting our application review service worldwide to ensuring one’s entry meets the criteria for the Diversity Visa program, we are a company that invests in user-friendly secure technology and professional teams committed to helping people immigrate to the U.S.
What does USAFIS do?
USAFIS is a private organization (not affiliated with the US Government) with more than 15 years of experience with preparing and submitting successful applications for its paid clients to the U.S. Green Card Lottery program. In brief, we GUARANTEE 100% participation in the American Green Card Lottery!
USAFIS provides its customers with a user-friendly online form, and customer service in several languages, so they can enter their details on the application and upload their photos in advance, before the official registration period for the Green Card Lottery. We also provide our clients with information explaining how to complete their Green Card Lottery applications correctly and answer questions that they may have about the DV Lottery program.
USAFIS professionals then review the information and photos their customers have provided to make sure everything meets the US Government standards for the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery program. Our automated system will notify USAFIS customers if they are missing any of their required details or photos on their Green Card application and our photo experts will tell them if any of their photos do not meet the US State Department requirements for the Green Card Lottery (and explain what they need to do differently to meet the proper standards for the Lottery).
When a client’s DV Lottery application is complete and meets the American Government regulations, USAFIS submits the application on their behalf to the US State Department during the annual registration period.
We also offer the convenience of multiple-year submissions for our clients and make it easy to update their applications as necessary. USAFIS promptly notifies thousands of its customers who win the Green Card Lottery each year so they can take the next steps in this competitive process. Finally, USAFIS offers immigration-related e-Books with useful information about the Diversity Visa program and immigration to the United States, as well as interactive, multimedia language-learning software to help customers improve their English language skills or learn other languages spoken in the USA.
Why use a Green Card Lottery application service provider?
Millions each year receive automatic disqualification from the Green Card Lottery due to not following US Government guidelines. USAFIS created a service that ensures that a qualified individual gets past the crucial application phase of the Diversity Visa Lottery program. USAFIS guarantees DV Lottery entry to qualified individuals.
What are the benefits of using USAFIS?
USAFIS uses a 5-Step Green Card Lottery approach to help you through the process: Registration; Application; Photo; Submission; and Selection. For over a decade, USAFIS has serviced millions of applications. Its services include:
- An error-free application
- Transforming paper based applications into the required E-DV format
- Converting paper photos into the necessary digital format
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Representatives to help you in several languages
- Timely submission of applications
- Sending updates and immigrations tips
- Clients selected by the DV Lottery are promptly notified by phone and email
If I am selected as a Green Card Lottery winner, how will I know?
Based upon the latest contact information given by the client who has won, USAFIS will inform him/her via phone, fax, mail, and email. Our letter or email will simply inform the client that he/she was selected in the Green Card Lottery and that they will go through several security checks, fill out several forms, and have a personal interview with a U.S. Consul. In addition, we recommend in the letter to obtain the services of a lawyer who is well versed in U.S. immigration matters and suggest a particular law firm which has years of experience and specializes in immigration and relocation law to handle their case.
Does USAFIS guarantee a Green Card?
No. USAFIS only guarantees Green Card Lottery entry to qualified applicants.
Is USAFIS affiliated with the U.S. government?
No! USAFIS is a private company that provides an application review service for the U.S. Green Card Lottery. USAFIS also submits the Green Card Lottery application on time on behalf of the client.
We, at USAFIS, understand that it is the U.S. immigrant experience that can turn dreams into reality. Many people look at the USA and wonder what if? Our goal is to change that question into why not?
Part #4: Application
What information is required on the Green Card Lottery application?
Besides giving your full name, address, phone number, email, date of birth, and gender, you will also need to provide the city and country you were born in, country of eligibility as well as education and martial status. If you are or were married and have children, the Green Card Lottery application requires you to provide all their biographical information even if they do not plan to move to the U.S. with you. Also, you will need to provide a photo of yourself and your family.
Must I include my children’s information on the DV application?
All unmarried children under the age of 21 must be included in the Green Card Lottery application. This includes adopted children, children of a spouse, and children from a previous marriage, even if they do not currently live with you nor intend on immigrating to the USA.
Can a married couple file an application separately?
Yes – if both spouses meet the eligibility requirements.
Must all the family members listed on my application move with me to the USA after winning the Green Card Lottery?
No.
How does one upload the photos on the USAFIS website?
Accordion Content
If a client is moving, can he/she change their personal details online?
With a unique number along with a username and password, a client can always update their personal contact details via our website. When a person moves to another location, it is very important for him/her to let USAFIS know the new address and updated contact information, for when clients are selected in the Green Card Lottery, this is the only way we can inform them of winning.
Part #5: Secured Payment Process & Information
What security measures are used by USAFIS to secure my online payment?
Millions of people have used our service and trusted us with their personal information. All financial information is protected by the latest security standards in the industry. All personal information is encrypted in our system, preventing any access to your details. Once the payment is processed and we have serviced your Green Card Lottery application details, your credit card details are automatically deleted from our system in a safe and secure manner.
Is there a fee for submitting a Green Card Lottery entry?
No. Also, USAFIS does not charge a client for Green Card Lottery submission. We only charge for our application review.
Besides paying with a credit card are there other ways to pay for USAFIS’ application review service?
USAFIS offers several alternative payment methods such as: Paypal, International Bank Transfer, WebMoney, Monenta.au, Safart, GiroPay, and CashU. We never just offer one payment method for our clients! In addition, we use 128-bit SSL encryption with MaxMind anti-fraud technology, verifying the authenticity of the credit card purchase.
Why wasn’t my payment approved?
There can be several reasons why a credit card was unsuccessful in processing the payment to USAFIS: (1) Insufficient funds; (2) Payment was processed using a local card; and (3) The credit card company itself refused to process the transaction for an unspecified reason.
Is there any payment confirmation?
Yes. After successfully processing our service fee, an automatic payment confirmation email is sent to you that will include a link to your invoice.
Can I cancel USAFIS’ service? If so, can I get a refund?
In the Terms of Use section of our website, USAFIS clearly indicates that refunds are at the sole discretion of the company. While our company has granted refunds in the past in specific cases, a person should know that once the transaction is made it is final.
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